HUNTSVILLE, AL -- In the race to represent northeast Alabama on the state school board, Mary Ruth Yates has raised more than three times her Democratic primary rival and more than the three Republican candidates combined during the most recent financial reporting period.

Yates, who retired last fall from Huntsville City Schools, reported raising $56,434. More than half her donations came from the Alabama Education Association, the state's powerful teachers' lobby.

Yates also got donations from former Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and city school officials.

Mary Scott Hunter leads the Republicans with $29,519.35 raised in April and May. The Huntsville attorney got most of her
money from individuals, including former Republican congressional
candidates Wayne Parker and Hugh McInnish.

Hunter is the only candidate to file an annual report at the end of 2009. Since Hunter began fundraising, she has amassed $50,952.16, just a few thousand shy of Yates.

In addition to its donation to Yates, AEA also gave $10,000 to Democrat Ralph Burke, a former state House member from Gadsden. Burke has raised a total of $15,550. The only candidate in the race from outside Madison County, Burke raised much of his non-AEA contributions from residents of Fyffe, Rainsville and Fort Payne.

Republican Sue Helms, a longtime Madison and Madison County school board member, raised $22,999. Her donations also came mostly from individuals, including $200 from Madison schools superintendent Dee Fowler. Republican Ken Gawronski, a businessman, raised $1,010 in individual donations but got $9,450 in loans from relatives.

The primary elections are Tuesday.

The candidates are vying to replace Mary Jane Caylor, a Democrat who represented District 8 on the state board for four terms. She is not seeking a fifth term.

The winner of the Nov. 2 general election gets a four-year term representing Limestone, Madison, Jackson, DeKalb, and Etowah counties. The state board governs Alabama's K-12 schools and two-year colleges.

Editor's note:An earlier version of this story did not include a fundraising report filed in January by Mary Scott Hunter. The story only included fundraising reports filed in April and May for each candidate.